India, Nov. 11 -- Amongst the most significant developmental and environmental challenges India faces relate to energy and waste. These have many dimensions but let us focus only on the most obvious as they lie almost hidden even in front of our eyes. India's waste, whether urban or rural, is becoming a scar on our landscape and health threatening and a problem which threatens to go out of control.

Meanwhile, India faces a potential crisis of energy security even as we spend thousands of crores not only on importing fertilisers and gas but also giving subsidies for them.

India generates over 700 million tons of agricultural residue, 150 million tons of municipal solid waste and rising, 1.2 billion tons of cattle dung and 26.4 million li...